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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23405494">It is the External Wounds which Heal the Quickest</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Darth_Pancake/pseuds/Darth_Pancake'>Darth_Pancake</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Transformers - All Media Types, Transformers: Prime</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Arcee and Cliffjumper are goals, Arcee has PTSD, Bonding, Canon Compliant, Character Study, Cliffjumper just wants to help, F/M, Feel-good, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Self-Acceptance</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-03-31</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-03-31</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-01 07:07:00</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>6,460</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23405494</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Darth_Pancake/pseuds/Darth_Pancake</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Immediately after arriving on Earth, problems arise for the newly established duo of Arcee and Cliffjumper. Optimus Prime is nowhere to be found, and the desert they landed in is just awful on their joints. But there may be more to their issues than meets the eye, and Arcee's past haunts her every step. Their relationship is still new, fragile, and untested. It's an uphill battle for Cliffjumper as he tries to win his new partner over. Fortunately for them both, he's never been one to back down from a challenge.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Arcee &amp; Cliffjumper (Transformers), Arcee/Cliffjumper (Transformers)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>23</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>It is the External Wounds which Heal the Quickest</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>This is just a short(ish), sweet one-shot I wrote in a six hour writing session. I might write a chapter two in the future, detailing how they fit in with Team Prime, but for now this is it. I hope you enjoy it, because I had a lot of fun writing it. </p><p>Quick side note, because I don't have the confidence to post this without saying as much: I don't think this is entirely accurate to what would have happened. I think I wrote her a little too accepting. But you know what? It made me happy, and I think Arcee needs some positive feelings every once in a while. Anyway, now that my self-doubt is out of the way, on to the story! Thanks again for reading!</p><p>(I would also really appreciate anyone who took some time out of their day to leave a review on the story! God knows I'm not a perfect writer, and I'm always looking to improve with the help of a little constructive criticism!)</p><p>Cybertronian units of time used:</p><p>Klik: one minute<br/>Cycle: one hour<br/>Solar cycle: one day<br/>Deca cycle: one week<br/>Orbital cycle: one month<br/>Stellar cycle: one year<br/>Vorn: 83 years</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Arcee was not a team player. She hadn’t been for a long time. She didn’t share the same “teamwork makes the dream work” belief that all the other Autobots had. She’d been on her own since Tailgate’s death. And while that was without a doubt the worst thing that ever happened to her, not everything that came from it was bad. It taught her something, a lesson learned the hard way: friends, family, partners, whatever, they were all a liability. Decepticons couldn’t use your loved ones against you if you didn’t have any. </p><p>That wasn’t the only reason she kept herself isolated. There was a part of her, a small yet very loud part of her, that decried the idea of opening up. The idea haunted her in the solar cycles following Tailgate’s death, that letting anyone in was a betrayal, like she was replacing him. It was a desecration to his memory to let anyone else take his place at her side, to let some other ‘bot stand where he’d once stood. So she’d pushed everyone away. Anyone who cared enough to try and talk to her was shut out, berated, ignored, and they eventually stopped trying. It happened with Bumblebee, it happened with Chromia, and it happened with Jazz. </p><p>It was supposed to happen with Cliffjumper, but for some reason, it didn’t. He managed to do what no other ‘bot had been able to and squeezed past her defenses. With his big, stupid grin and his incessant chatter, he’d somehow grown on her. Anyone else would have gotten all warm and fuzzy. </p><p>Considering the void-damned pit they were trapped on, though, Arcee wasn’t feeling anything positive towards her new partner, especially since it was his fault they were here in the first place. They’d been trudging through a grainy, annoying desert for a few cycles now--three, if her chronometer was to be believed--and she’d long since given up on trying to make the best of it. The femme had resorted to following Cliffjumper and glaring at his back as he talked on, and on, and on. She didn’t think he noticed, and even if he did, she knew he wouldn’t care. </p><p>It was both endearing and absolutely infuriating. She’d been practicing the art of dealing out dirty looks for vorns, and it usually cleared a room. Arcee was a small ‘bot, so she had to find other ways to up her intimidation factor. Being one of the best fighters on Cybertron wasn’t enough, so she mastered dirty looks. And yet, here was Cliffjumper, marching on without a care in the world. He was so different from anyone she’d ever met. She didn’t understand him, but he could see through her. Maybe that's why she agreed to go with him. She wanted--needed--to know more. </p><p>So she kept following him, listening to him prattle on about nothing important. They walked, and walked, and walked. The two-wheeler would even respond to him every once in a while, making a dry or amused quip and smiling when he couldn’t see her. The glare she’d worn for so long faded as the cycles went by, but it didn’t completely disappear. They were still wandering around in an organic desert, and Cliffjumper’s charm couldn’t shake the sand out of her joints. </p><p>Still, it wasn’t so bad. No matter how indifferent she tried to seem, Arcee was paying attention--it wasn’t like there was much else to do, after all. And while she was pretty sure some of the stuff Cliff was spouting off wasn’t exactly true--there was no way he punched Megatron in the face and lived to tell the tale--some of it clearly was. Some of it was a little more personal. Cliffjumper didn’t seem to be the kind of mech who needed a conversation partner to talk, so she didn’t, and she learned a lot that way. For instance, Cliff had once served with Jazz in the Elite Guard, back before the war. They’d apparently been good friends, which was news to her. She had no idea they’d even known each other, let alone been friends--no, not friends. Partners. He’d said partners. </p><p>“I didn’t know you knew each other,” she said, falling in step beside him. “Jazz and I were part of the same unit for a while during the war.”</p><p>Cliff looked at her, smirking. “Never knew Jazz was a scout,” he said teasingly.</p><p>Arcee rolled her optics. “I actually was a scout in the beginning, Cliff. Not all of us were forged with four wheels.”</p><p>“Oh, but some of us look so nice with two,” he replied, and the femme actually laughed. </p><p>“You’re quite the charmer,” she said, smiling faintly. “I bet you were popular back on Cybertron.”</p><p>“Nah. Turns out, most of the ladies weren’t big fans of mine. Something to do with the Elite Guard being ‘corrupt’ and ‘oppressive’ back when it was under Sentinel. Can you believe it? No one wanted a second date after they found out what I did for a living.”</p><p>Arcee’s smile blossomed into a smirk. “Is that why you joined the Autobots?”</p><p>Cliffjumper laughed, a sound that was starting to grow on her. “Oh yeah, definitely. It had nothing to do with Optimus Prime or his long-winded speeches. I joined the cause for a date. Had my eye on Elita One for the longest time, only to find out that she was attached to the boss ‘bot himself. Imagine that!”</p><p>“You must have been disappointed,” the femme replied.</p><p>“Oh, you have no idea.”</p><p>They talked like that for cycles. Arcee found herself more and more engaged in the conversation as time went on. It was, well, weird. For the longest time, she’d been on her own, fighting the Decepticons out of a hollow sense of duty and revenge instead of any real connection to the cause. And now, in the span of one solar cycle, her life had been flipped upside down. Just an orbital cycle ago, she’d been sitting in a destroyed building on Cybertron preparing to take down Starscream. She didn’t have much hope for the future, and she didn’t plan on taking a new partner, much less joining up with Optimus Prime himself. And now, here she was doing both of those things. </p><p>Eventually, it started to get dark. The sun started to fade away in the sky, and the white thing that followed it took its place. Arcee assumed it was this planet’s moon, but there was no telling with organics. Nothing about them ever made any sense. </p><p>“We should rest for the night,” she said, coming to a stop at the foot of a large mountain. She looked up; this planet was so awful that apparently even its mountains were made of sand. It was the same dusty orange as the desert, if maybe a little darker. If Prime said this world was Energon-rich, she’d believe him, but so far she wasn’t impressed. </p><p>Cliffjumper stopped beside her, stretching his arms. “Works for me. My legs are about to fall off.” He followed her gaze to the mountain’s peak, raising his optic ridges. He whistled. “Wow. Orange, sandy mountains to go with the orange, sandy desert.” He looked to Arcee, smirking. “This planet has great range. Lots of variation. I love the color.”</p><p>“It really makes you miss the sea of rust,” she agreed. “At least there, we were on Cybertron.”</p><p>“Yeah,” came the reply. The two stood there in silence for a few moments, really the first time Cliff had been quiet since they were thrown into that cell on the Nemesis together. It was admittedly kind of peaceful. Earth’s wind blew softly in the background, creating a nice contrast to the constant heat of the desert during the day. Even the sound of the sand rolling behind them was nice in a way, even if it did get caught up in her gears. </p><p>Arcee was enjoying the quiet, so naturally, Cliffjumper broke it. “So, I get why we didn’t use our alt modes--we’re supposed to be actually searching for Prime, we need to take it slow, yada yada--but couldn’t we have at least gotten out of this desert? I’m gonna be scooping sand out of my undercarriage for deca-cycles.”</p><p>“You’re not the only one,” the femme replied glumly. “I can feel it grinding against the gears in my pedes with every step. But Optimus’s coordinates led to this desert, so this is where we need to search.”</p><p>“Right,” Cliff said. “Right, yeah, it’s just that I was expecting to find him by now, and I could really go for a tune-up and some Energon right about now. Getting pounded by Shockwave hurts.”</p><p>“Hey, I’m the one that got mind zapped, and I’m not complaining.”</p><p>“Yeah, but I’m pretty sure you wouldn’t say anything even if you got stabbed. Besides, the patch couldn’t have messed you up that bad. You were still kicking more ‘con tailpipe than I was back at Shockwave’s lab,” Cliffjumper replied cheekily. “Plus,” he said, reaching into his subspace, “I think a quick detour wouldn’t hurt. I’ve still got an Energon scanner on me. I swiped it from Starscream after we tied him up.” He pulled a small, hand-held square out of his subspace and turned it on. A red needle on its screen spun erratically before pointing in one direction. Cliff smirked at his partner. “Come on, ‘Cee. We can go grab some fuel and get right back to ambling around the desert in no time.”</p><p>Arcee put a hand on her hip and raised an optic ridge. “I thought your legs were about to fall off.”</p><p>“Oh, they are, believe me,” Cliffjumper said, “but the idea of grabbing some Energon and getting out of this desert seems to make the pain go away. In fact, I think I could tangle with Shockwave again right now. I’m feeling limber. I’m ready.”</p><p>Arcee rolled her eyes, but she didn’t say no. He wasn’t wrong. Some Energon would be nice. There wasn’t much of it scattered around the galaxy after Cybertron went dark, and acquiring it on her own had been difficult. She hadn’t refueled in at least a mega-cycle, and she’d been feeling the effects of Energon deficiency ever since they landed in the desert. She felt weaker than she did even just a few cycles ago. If there really was Energon on this planet, finding it would do wonders for both of them.</p><p>“Alright,” she conceded, “let’s go. I could use the fuel.” She transformed, wincing as the sand ground against her moving parts, and sat idle. Her alternate mode was a sleek, blue, Cybertronian motorcycle, fitted with streaks of pink and glowing blue rims. Her wheels were a flashy, reflective chrome. Cliffjumper whistled. “I think you’ve got to be the prettiest bike I’ve seen.”</p><p>Arcee’s face burned, and it took her a moment to realize that she was blushing. She thanked Primus that she was in her alt mode. Cliff would never let her live it down if he’d seen. “Oh, really? How many other bikes do you know?”</p><p>“You’re the one and only, partner,” Cliff replied, grinning impishly. “Anyone else is dead to me now.”</p><p>The femme’s blush intensified. Her chest felt warm. Arcee was notoriously bad at handling her emotions, but this was different. She didn’t even know what “this” was. All she knew was that it was overwhelming and that she needed a distraction. Fortunately, she already had a pretty good one. “Cliff. The Energon?”</p><p>It worked. The red mech mock saluted and transformed, dropping down into a sleek Cybertronian car. The horns that usually adorned his head sat neatly at the tip of his hood. It was flashy, almost ridiculously so, which made sense; Cliffjumper deserved an alt mode as loud and over the top as he was. “Ready to ‘roll out’, ma’am,” he said teasingly. He revved his engine, emitting a loud roar that echoed off of the mountain at their side. Arcee rolled her eyes, even though he couldn’t see it; her new partner was a show-off. </p><p>“You’ve got the scanner. Lead the way,” she said. Her only response was another roar of the engine, except this time Cliff actually moved, shooting into the distance. “Come on, ‘Cee!” he called back as he raced away. “Don’t tell me you’re slow under all that flash!”</p><p>Well, she couldn’t turn down a challenge. The two-wheeler narrowed her optics and took off, driving through the cloud of sand Cliffjumper’s tires kicked up. She caught up to him after just a klik or two, pulling her small form up to his side. “Really?” she asked drily. “You’re calling me flashy?” </p><p>“Hey, if the bolt fits,” he replied. Arcee could hear the smug grin in his voice. It would have bothered her before, but now, for whatever reason, it made her smile. He really was different from anyone she’d ever met. He was probably the first ‘bot she’d met in vorns who she actually enjoyed spending time with, and she still didn’t know how that happened. Maybe Shockwave’s cortical psychic patch really did fry her processor. Maybe she took one too many hits to the head during the fight. No matter what happened to bring about this change, though, she couldn’t imagine anywhere else she’d rather be than where she was, racing across the desert with someone who had so quickly become her friend. </p><p>Some time between her capture and their arrival on Earth, something had changed within her. It was scary, terrifying, because the last time she’d felt like she could just lay back and enjoy someone’s presence had been with Tailgate, and that hadn’t ended well. It was also uplifting, because no matter what she told herself, she hated the self-inflicted isolation she’d put herself through. Cliff helped her see that. Arcee wanted to find Optimus, she wanted to join his team, and she wanted to do it with Cliffjumper at her side. Past Arcee would have been appalled by the way she was feeling, but she didn’t care. For the first time in stellar cycles, she felt… happy. And if Cliff was what made her happy, then she’d fight as hard as she could to keep him. </p><p>“Whatever you say, Cliff,” the two-wheeler said, smiling. “But for future reference, I’m not the one with hood ornaments.” </p><p>Cliffjumper laughed again, but before anything else could be said, a loud ‘beep’ pierced through their comm. channel. The two Autobots rolled to a stop and transformed in front of a gaping hole in the ground. It went deep, and shadows lined its walls. It curved inwards towards the bottom and descended further at an angle before disappearing in the darkness. Arcee had a feeling that this place was dark even during the day, and what’s more, she felt a growing unease creeping up her back. The cave, the shadows, the sheer unknowable darkness of it all… it reminded her of something, someone. It wasn’t a pleasant memory, especially not with a partner at her side. “Are you sure this is the place?” she asked. There was a dark edge to her tone, one that seemed to positively drip with wariness and maybe even fear. </p><p>The red mech nodded, frowning. “Yeah. That’s what the scanner says, anyway. According to this thing, there’s a mountain of Energon down there just waiting to be found.”</p><p>Arcee narrowed her eyes suspiciously. “I hear a ‘but’ at the end of that.”</p><p>Cliffjumper chuckled. His frown morphed into a grin. “Nah, you’re just paranoid. Don’t let a dark cave scare you off, ‘Cee. We need the Energon.” </p><p>The femme narrowd her eyes and rose to her feet. She put a hand on her hip and quirked an optic ridge, glaring at him. “I’m just being cautious. I know a ‘con with a thing for dark places.”</p><p>Understanding flashed across her partner’s face, and he immediately dropped the grin. He was there, after all. He saw Airachnid’s dank and dim hideout, where it was so dark that it was almost impossible to see without headlights. He also saw the aftermath of her work; he knew what happened to Tailgate. By the time he and Bumblebee had fought their way through the guards and the shadows, he’d been nearly split in half. His Energon splattered the walls. There wasn’t anything they could do for him, so they’d grabbed the shell-shocked two-wheeler in the room and ran. </p><p>“Arcee,” he said gently, “She’s not here. You know that, right? She can’t hurt you.”</p><p>“It’s not me I’m worried about,” she said softly. The words were spoken quietly, barely a whisper, but they hit Cliffjumper like Megatron had just punched him in the face. He recoiled in barely contained surprise as the true meaning of what she was talking about dawned on him: Arcee wasn’t scared of the shadows, and she wasn’t scared of Airachnid. She wasn’t scared of what might happen to her if they ever crossed paths again. </p><p>Arcee was afraid of what Airachnid would do to the people she cared about. And now, what had been a purposefully blank list had a name on it, and she had to fear the shadows again. </p><p>The femme turned away from her partner. All that euphoric happiness from earlier came crashing down, and fear took its place. It’d been easy to walk into danger when she was on her own. Reminders of Airachnid and her torture chamber hadn’t hurt as much, because she didn’t have anyone with her to fear for. But now… now, here with Cliffjumper, she realized just how afraid she actually was. The fear was rampant, raging, undeniable, and it crashed over her like a tidal wave. She’d isolated herself so that no one else could ever die because of her, so that she wouldn’t have to be afraid of losing someone else, so that she would never again feel the pain that hurt more than any physical wound ever could. But she’d slipped up. She let herself get attached. And now, Arcee would have to watch as someone else she cared for paid for it, like last time-</p><p>Her mind went blank as Cliff stepped in front of her. She stared up at him, trying her best to keep her face neutral, but it must not have worked, because the next thing she knew he was down on one knee in front of her. If she was feeling better, or if the situation was less tense, Cliff might have cracked a joke, and she almost expected him to. But he didn’t. He looked at her with a somber expression and reached forwards, wrapping his arms around her small frame.</p><p>Arcee completely froze. Her processor just… stopped. All she could do was feel, and that was what she did. “What… what are you doing?” she asked quietly, confusion lacing her tone, but she didn’t try to break away. </p><p>“I,” Cliffjumper replied warmly, “am doing what I think someone probably should have done a long time ago. This is what normal ‘bots call a hug. I get the feeling that you really need one right now. Am I right?”</p><p>“I know what a hug is,” the femme replied, just as quietly. She was, for the first time in so long, at a complete loss. She didn’t know what to feel, what to think, what to do. So she stopped thinking and leaned in, accepting the embrace and returning it. She rested her head on Cliffjumper’s shoulder, closing her eyes. “Yes,” she breathed, “you’re right.”</p><p>Cliffjumper chuckled; Arcee could feel the vibrations racing through her, shooting through her spark chamber and travelling up her spine. Just like that, her fear began to melt away, and that sense of security began to return. “Wow,” he said teasingly, warmly, “I bet that’s something I won’t hear too often. I should probably savor it while it lasts, right?”</p><p>Arcee laughed, a wet and broken sound that tore itself from her voice box, and she squeezed him tighter. “Shut up, Cliff.” </p><p>To her surprise, he nodded. “Okay.” He didn’t speak again, and they stayed there, wrapped in each other’s embrace for what felt like cycles. The femme didn’t realize just how badly she needed something as simple as a hug before it happened. And once it did, she never wanted to let go. She felt safe with her partner, and it again amazed her that they’d only started developing a positive relationship not even a solar cycle ago. Maybe she’d just latched onto the first friendly face she’d managed to get ahold of, but she didn’t think that was what happened. She had a connection with Cliff, and even if she didn’t understand it, didn’t understand him, she wanted it. She needed it. She’d gone so long without someone to rely on, to talk to, to care for, that even the slightest bit of warmth and feeling made her go weak at the knees. It was such a foreign sensation, the way he made her feel, but it was good. </p><p>“Hey, Cliff?” she said quietly, face still pressed against his shoulder. </p><p>“Yeah, ‘Cee?” he answered. </p><p>Arcee pulled away from his embrace and looked him in the optics. They held eye contact for a moment; Cliffjumper’s hands were still wrapped around her waist and Arcee’s arms were planted firmly on his shoulders. She stared at him with genuine emotion in her eyes, the first time she’d dropped her guard around anyone in vorns. “Thank you,” she said, and she meant it. </p><p>Cliff’s eyes sparkled as he grinned at her. “Any time, partner.”</p><p>When they finally broke away from each other, something had changed between them. It was subtle, but as far as Arcee was concerned, it was also fragile. She knew that they’d just crossed a line, but not necessarily in a bad way. They were entwined, now, glued together; she couldn’t, wouldn’t leave him, and she didn’t think he’d leave her. This was it, now. They were partners, and she would go to the ends of the galaxy for him if only he said the word. </p><p>“You really do have a way with people,” she said off-handedly, once again gazing down into the pit below them. This time, it wasn’t fear that dominated her mind when looking at it.</p><p>Cliffjumper turned to her, amusedly. “Oh?” he asked. “Hey, I’m glad you finally admitted it. I knew I’d grow on you eventually.”</p><p>“Like a weed,” Arcee agreed, but she smiled.</p><p>The red mech returned the smile, but his was more crooked. “Well, this ‘weed’ is ready to go get some Energon.” He gestured down towards the shadow-filled cave that awaited them. “You with me, ‘Cee?”</p><p>The two-wheeler turned to give one last look to the desert and the distant horizon behind them. There was a glint of uncertainty in her eye, but she wouldn’t let it stop her. She wouldn’t let her fear define her. Not while she had a partner to protect. Not when she finally had a purpose again. She pivoted back ‘round and nodded. The metallic, incredible sound of transformation rang throughout the cavern and beyond as metal shifted on metal to form two glowing blue blasters, which took the place of her hands. Arcee took a deep breath and nodded again. And then, in an effort to recapture some of that earlier comfort, she smirked. “No, you’re with me,” she said. “I’ll take point.”</p><p>She ran forward and leapt into the hole, more than ready to face her fears head on. Memories surged forth, threatening to overwhelm her; dark, dark lairs, Decepticons, Tailgate’s bound and mutilated form, Energon everywhere, dark, dark, dark, Airachnid’s spidery limbs, and the pure fear that coursed through her every time she thought of that moment, so helpless, so alone. Well, she wasn’t helpless now. This was a planet far from Cybertron. Airachnid wasn’t here. And if she was, if her deepest darkest fears and anxieties were somehow made true, then she’d face her down. She’d beat her. She wouldn’t let the spider-femme take anyone from her ever again. She was better than that. </p><p>Cliffjumper stood atop the ridge, watching as his partner jumped down. He seemed proud, and a gentle, genuine smile adorned his face. “That’s my girl,” he said, and he followed her in. </p><p>-----</p><p>The inside of the cave, to no one’s surprise, was dark. Arcee’s optics and blasters kept a small area illuminated, but it wasn’t much. The darkness was suffocating, enveloping. Cliffjumper’s steady presence at her back was both a blessing and a curse; while he was what was giving her the strength to carry on, his presence was also the source of her fear. She wasn’t lying when she said that she wasn’t afraid for her own life. She’d long ago stopped caring whether she lived or died. It was part of what made her so resistant to Starscream’s interrogation back on the Nemesis. Pain was an old friend, and she had no qualms with greeting it at the door. Torture wasn’t so bad when you had nothing to live for. </p><p>But maybe that outlook was a little old. She had someone to live for, now, and something to fight for. She didn’t know how teaming with Optimus Prime would work out, but she was willing to try it and give it her all if for no other reason than that Cliffjumper asked her to. It was time to drop the solo act. She’d always worked better with a partner, a yin to her yang, a light to her dark. Or, in this case, a loud and obvious to her quiet and stealthy. </p><p>The pair kept moving with Arcee in front and Cliffjumper in the rear. Both had their weapons drawn--Cliff’s were more for light than anything else--and both were treading carefully. Despite his insistence that everything was fine, Cliff wasn’t entirely carefree about their cave-diving expedition. Arcee could tell. It was clear when his weapons heated up to fire when something emerged from the gloom in front of them--usually a wall--or when something made a noise behind them. She didn’t blame him. This cave gave her the creeps, and it went beyond just its resemblance to Airachnid’s disgusting lair. If there really was Energon ahead of them, like the scanner said, then it shouldn’t be so dark. Energon was famous for its blue glow.</p><p>“Y’know,” Cliff said suddenly, causing Arcee to jump, “I’m starting to think that maybe we shouldn’t have trusted Decepticon hardware so easily. I don’t think there’s any Energon in here. It’s too dark.”</p><p>“We’re in too deep to turn back now,” the femme replied firmly after she’d recovered from her inital shock. She’d been so hyper focused on her surroundings that Cliff’s sudden voice almost caused a sensory overload. Her spark was still racing a mile a minute. “Besides, if Optimus really isn’t on this planet, we’ll need the fuel. Otherwise, we’re bound for the scrapyard.”</p><p>“Good point,” Cliffjumper agreed. She heard him shifting around behind her, shuffling his feet and kicking loose stones. He must have lost his caution somewhere behind them. “Still, I don’t want to wander this cave forever. I’ve got an idea.” </p><p>“Oh, yeah?” Arcee asked, still walking forwards. “I’m open to sugges-”</p><p>She was cut off by another sudden sound, this time one of transformation. She whipped around, guns glowing and ready to fire, when she was blinded by sudden light. The femme instictively covered her optics with one of her arms, shielding her face. The light died down after a moment, and only when she looked down did she find out why: Cliffjumper swapped to his alt mode, and had been blinding her with his headlights. </p><p>“Uh, Cliff?” she asked. “What are you doing?”</p><p>“Saving time!” he replied loudly. “I’ve got my headlights, my high beams, and the Energon scanner all right here on the dash. And you know what the best part is? We won’t have to keep wandering around this cave until we offline ourselves. Isn’t it great?”</p><p>Arcee stopped, stared, and shrugged. “I don’t want to be down here any longer than I have to be. Let’s try it your way.” She transformed as she spoke, folding in on herself until a pristine blue motorcycle sat where she once stood. Her own headlights turned on with a flash, and suddenly the cave was a lot less dark. Cliffjumper rolled forwards until he was at her side. “Hey, ‘Cee? Maybe let me go first. I’ve got the scanner, and if we’re on wheels, it’ll be easier on us both if I’m in front.”</p><p>Arcee hesitated; she really didn’t like that idea, but it made sense. Besides, she told herself, if anything bad was going to happen, it likely would have already. “Alright,” she conceded, attempting to ignore the sudden pit of anxiety and dread forming in her gut. “Let’s get this over with.”</p><p>“Bet I’ll find the Energon before you.”</p><p>Her growing unease was stopped in its tracks. A smirk blossomed onto her face. “Just drive, Cliff,” she said fondly. </p><p>“You got it, partner.”</p><p>And so they did. The roar of their engines was louder than any rock fall or Earth creature, and it echoed off the walls and all throughout the cavern, but at least they were fast. The cave halls were long and twisted, but they were also tall and sturdy, almost like they’d been carved. If there was an Energon deposit here somewhere, then it likely had been carved. Arcee knew from experience--from raiding other deposits on other planets--that Autobots and Decepticons both liked to make sure they could walk through their own tunnels, so they drilled and mined until they were appropriately sized. There was no reason for Earth to be an exception to that quirk. .</p><p>Not for the first time that solar cycle, Cliffjumper was right: they found the Energon much faster than they would have otherwise. It took about twenty kliks in vehicle mode, and if they’d continued walking, it would have been much longer. The next corner they rounded turned out to be the last one, and both ‘bots transformed at the sight of a familiar blue glow. In front of them was a vast array of Energon, all unprocessed, none of it mined, but still there. It wasn’t a small cache either. There was enough to last the two of them a few orbital cycles, if they could find a way to process it. </p><p>Arcee and Cliffjumper shared an excited glance. Maybe Prime’s message hadn’t been wrong after all. This was one of the biggest Energon deposits the femme had ever seen outside of Cybertron, and if the whole planet was like this, it was no wonder the Autobot leader had decided to set up shop on it.</p><p>“Welp, I’m sold,” Cliff said loudly, brushing his hand along one of the larger Energon crystals. He broke a small chunk off and tossed it up in the air, catching it as it fell back down. “I like this planet after all. A little sand’s no problem when you’ve got Energon stockpiles like this.”</p><p>“Agreed,” Arcee said, almost reverently. She was in awe. This much Energon… everywhere? It hadn’t taken long to find this stockpile. What was the rest of the planet like? If it was all like this, Prime could summon a whole legion of warriors and barely make a dent. Maybe this planet really could be a staging ground to combat the ‘cons from. Maybe it could even be the final battleground of the war. </p><p>She tore herself away from those thoughts before they could get too out of hand. The femme made a rule a long time ago, back when Tailgate was alive and they were all still on Cybertron. The rule was simple: never, ever think about the end of the war. Trying to foresee it at every turn only meant that you’d gain hope, and there was nothing worse than having your hopes ripped away from you and crushed when the war did not, in fact, end.</p><p>Well, almost nothing worse. Arcee grimaced as her processor tried to go back in that direction, and she again reigned herself in. She couldn’t think like that. Now now. Not when there was still so much to do. They had all this Energon, but no easy way of processing it. Even worse, they still didn’t have a lock on Optimus. </p><p>That thought got her thinking. If they found him, they probably wouldn’t even have to worry about the Energon supply; there was no way the leader of the Autobots didn’t have a reliable processor at his base. It’d probably be best if they marked the coordinates of the stockpile and went to find the Prime. Arcee turned from the crystal she was examining to her partner, about to suggest her idea to him, when something very unexpected happened. </p><p>She heard voices. Two voices, to be precise, though one of them was… strange. Basic. More like data than actual words. “I’m telling you, ‘Bee, I heard voices!”</p><p>//“I didn’t hear anything! You’re losing it, Bulk.”//</p><p>“No, I’m not ‘losing it’. Get your audio sensors checked when we get back to base. There were two voices coming from the end of the cave, near the deposit.”</p><p>“Scrap,” Arcee hissed. She dove behind cover, which happened to be the large crystal she was messing with earlier. The spot gave her a decent view of the entire room. She could see the entrance they came in from, where the two voices were coming from now. She could also see Cliffjumper, who’s flashy red paint job wasn’t giving him many options as far as cover went. He settled with transforming back into car mode and backing into a corner, where the shadows mostly covered him. She hoped it would protect him long enough for her to figure out who exactly they were dealing with now. Neither voice sounded like Optimus, which likely meant… Decepticons. Maybe it was a trap after all.</p><p>The femme lowered her head as the owners of the voices rounded the corner and entered the room, hoping that the pink crest jutting from the top of her head didn’t give her away. Thankfully, the two newbies didn’t seem that observant. One was a hulking green brute, and the other was a smaller yellow ‘bot, maybe a little shorter than Cliffjumper. Neither of them seemed to be paying much attention to their surroundings, despite the green one’s insistence that he heard something. That was good. It meant they wouldn’t see her coming. </p><p>She dropped closer to the ground and crept towards another crystal closer to the entrance. She passed the new ‘bots, who, now that she had a better look at them, had brought containment carts with them. They were probably going to make off with some of the Energon she and Cliff found. Arcee grimaced; if these two really were Decepticons, that wasn’t going to happen. She wouldn’t let it. </p><p>The two-wheeler made it to her targeted crystal without incident. The sound of transformation sounded as her hands became blasters, but it thankfully went unheard. The two Cybertronians seemed too distracted with their own arguments to bother with her.</p><p>“What if it has something to do with that energy surge we picked up a few cycles ago? I’m telling you, ‘Bee, we might have a problem. That looked like a space bridge energy signature.”</p><p>//“It couldn’t have been a space bridge! Everyone knows we can’t make those anymore!”//</p><p>Arcee rolled her eyes. These two were almost as bad as Cliff. Speaking of Cliff...</p><p>She looked over to the corner he’d taken refuge in. He was close to the entrance. If they made a move at the same time, they could overwhelm the new arrivals and get some answers. If they were ‘cons, she’d scrap them. If they were Autobots, they’d take them to Optimus Prime. She looked over at his car form, tilting her head and her guns towards the still-bickering pair. He flashed his headlights once in response, which Arcee hoped meant that he’d back her up.</p><p>She pulled out from behind cover, blasters aimed. Cliffjumper, thankfully, followed, rolling quietly from the shadows. The two crept forwards until they were a few meters away from the big one. And then, like clockwork, they sprung. Her partner transformed and rose to his feet as she loudly announced, “Hands up. Don’t move.”</p><p>Both mechs had their backs turned to the partners. They raised their hands obediently. “Ah, scrap,” the big one muttered. “Next time I say I hear voices, how about you listen to me?”</p><p>The yellow one didn’t reply. Maybe he was more aware of the fact that they had blasters pointed at their backs. Maybe he just had a little more common sense. Arcee didn’t particularly care so long as they stayed still. “New game,” she said, “how about you shut up and listen to me?”</p><p>“I’d do what she says,” Cliffjumper drawled, raising his blasters to the yellow one’s back. “She can get pretty aggressive.”</p><p>The big one jolted, like he was going to turn to face them, but the whine of Arcee’s blasters stopped him dead in his tracks. He froze again and sighed. “Yeah, sure. Whatever you say.”</p><p>The yellow one, on the other hand, seemed deep in thought. //“You guys sound familiar,”// he said. // “Can I turn around?”//</p><p>“No,” Arcee said tensely. “You’ll keep your backs to our blasters and your hands above your heads. Now, I’ve got some questions, and you’re going to answer them. Got it?”</p><p>Before anyone could answer, the ground shook. Small pebbles fell from the ceiling. The Energon crystals rattled. The shaking was accompanied by a thump each time, a sound that sounded suspiciously like the footsteps of someone very large and very heavy.  Arcee turned her head slowly towards the entrance of the room, seeing out of the corner of her eye that Cliffjumper did as well. “I don’t think that will be necessary,” a deep voice boomed.</p><p>And then, as if he materialized out of the shadows, its owner was revealed, standing in the entrance. Both Arcee and Cliffjumper lowered their weapons in awe, and their former prisoners risked turning around. In front of them all, towering over them like a god over mortals, stood Optimus Prime, leader of the Autobots, the very mech they’d come here to join forces with.</p><p>“Arcee, Cliffjumper,” he said, and each of them straightened as he said their names. "It has been some time." The Prime smiled as he looked down upon them, despite the fact that they’d just held two of his apparent soldiers at gunpoint. “Welcome to Earth.”</p>
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